Through the Darkness
by Envious One
Summary: See the introduction...
1. Introduction

**Disclaimer: I don't own Kingdom Hearts... or even most of these characters...**

**A/N:This was an RPthat a (now) friend started and I joined...we all liked how it turned out, so I'm turning it into a fic. Hope you all enjoy! **

**Kingdom Hearts: Through the Darkness**

**Introduction**

It has been 10 years since Sora last defeated Ansem and the heartless. Since then, Sora, Riku and Kairi have gone missing, and the heartless are starting to stir again. In fact, nobody that has previously fought the heartless with Sora has been spotted since the door to Kingdom Hearts was closed. Unfortunately, rumors have been heard that the door to Kingdom Hearts was opened again, only for 5 minutes. In that short time, a boy, a girl, and two others were spotted entering it. Rumors also state that those people were Sora, Kairi, Donald and Goofy, supposedly gone to look for their lost friend Riku, and the king.

People have sprung up all over the world, claiming to be keyblade wielders, the ones to bring forth the light against the rising forces of darkness. Unfortunately, none of these claims have been true, and end up only being crazy people with clumsily welded pieces of metal. There are still 5 keyblades left, assuming Sora and Riku still hold the keyblade to locking worlds and unlocking hearts. The last 5 keyblades powers remain unknown, as nobody currently alive has wielded one. But legend says that if all 7 keyblades are put together, they will fuse into a weapon of almost unbeatable strength, allowing the one pure keyblade bearer to wield it for a short time.

Meanwhile, in Twilight town, two teens have noticed the uprising heartless, and have decided to do something about it. They are going to try to hunt down Sora and the gang, and convince them to come back and help the fight against the darkness. Unfortunately, this means not only finding Kingdom Hearts, but entering and trying to find the Heroes. Thus begins the journey through the darkness. Are you up to it?


	2. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: You know the drill...**

**Through the Darkness**

**Chapter 1**

"Those people were quite interesting. The girl...I think she had most of the power, and the boy didn't quite seem _all there_, if you know what I mean...I wonder why they wanted to stop us from finding Kingdom Hearts. And there was that other woman who said Sora was trouble." Daisuk smiled. "Jeez, only been here for a day, and already we've had some strange experiences... Mysterious people trying to kill us… barely escaping with our lives… man, wouldn't have been funny if we had been killed before we even got started on this quest?"

"That's want happens when you deal with darkness, and no, I don't especially think it would be funny to be dead…" Wolf moved toward a single building, "I think we should move on as soon as possible."

"Yeah, there's a gummi ship going to Hollow Bastion soon...or at least, what's left of it. We should check there, since that's where Sora sealed away the darkness." Daisuk looked down. "It was cleared of darkness, and people started living there again after Sora left...but now that the heartless are back...do you think they've reestablished it as their base?"

"Maybe, only one way to find out." Wolf looked around; if they didn't leave soon they could be killed here.

The next day, Daisuk stood outside the gummi stop, ticket in her hand. _Wonder what's in store for us at hollow bastion..._ she thought. _With people like those two we fought yesterday giving into the darkness, there's all the more reason to find Sora quicker_. "Wolf! O man, don't tell me I've lost you again!" She looks through the shadows for Wolf. "I know you're there somewhere, the ship's gonna leave soon!"

"Yeah, yeah, I'm here. Let's go." Wolf moved out of the shadows. "At least I know Hollow Bastion well." He had, of course he had been there before; it was in his past and something he would not talk about.

Daisuk stepped off the gummi ship, and took a look at the rising platforms that led up to Hollow Bastion's main gate. "Wow...wonder how much magic it takes to make those stones move." She looked down. "AH! Hope I don't fall...looks like there's no bottom... Hey Wolf, wanna try it out?" she joked. "Oh well, might as well get moving." Daisuk jumped towards the nearest stone, her long hair billowing out behind her. Soon enough, she arrived at Hollow Bastion's main gates. "Wow, big castle. We got a LOT of ground to cover if we're gonna find anything about Sora here...hey, Wolf, you behind me? When I said 'wanna try it out', I didn't mean it literally..."

Wolf was standing next to her. "Yeah, yeah. It's not that amazing." He walked to the main gates and entered the castle; he walked over to the stairs and looked up them. "Too many bad memories here."

Wolf moves to one of the many moving platforms. He stepped on it and looked around. "Almost how I remember it and if I'm right then we need to go there." He pointed at an opening that led outside. "Then on to a larger one."

"How do you remember here?" she asked Wolf curiously. "Is this where you lived before you came to the Destiny Islands?"

"You could say that." He shivered as he remembered what used to happen here. "I won't call it home, not quite, although I did spend a lot of time here. Come on." Wolf set the platform into motion.

Daisuk looked at Wolf and smiled. "Well, I'm glad at least one of us here knows their way around, it'll make things a lot easier."

"Yeah, just keep up." The platform did a circle around the castle, showing every side of it to the passengers. It stopped at a set of stairs that led to a larger platform. Wolf jumped off.

Daisuk kept in step with Wolf, jumping off the platform and walking down more aisles. "You don't have many fond memories here, do you?" she asked with concern. "You didn't need to come if it was going to cause you so much pain..."

"Its fine, I'd have to face them sometime." Wolf moved to the next platform but didn't get on, he looked at it carefully. "Hasn't been used in a long time. Hmmm. Oh well."

"Is there any other way to go besides this platform?" she asked Wolf.

Wolf looked at one side of the platform then set it in motion. "Wonder if it's still there….." Wolf stood there watching the platform move, "There should be something here that will help us."

A girl watched them from the shadows. _Maybe I should follow them... they seem to know what they're doing AND they want to open Kingdom Hearts..._ She thinks.

Daisuk looked at Wolf. "Something that can help us? Is it like, a journal, or maybe a person?" Daisuk turned the corner, thinking deeply about what might be coming ahead. She suddenly felt a chill across the back of her neck. _Brrr!_ she thought._ It feels like I'm being watched_. She glanced around. _Must be the wind_, she thought, as this time, a chill shook through her whole body.

"You'll see." Wolf stood there. The platform reached the halfway point and stopped. "Now to see if the Heartless are back..."


	3. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: I wish...**

**A/N: I revised and reposted chapter one... Its a little better now... I hope.**

**Through the Darkness**

**Chapter 2**

Daisuk stumbled a bit as the platform stopped halfway up. "Uh...this can't be good..." she said, and drew her sword. Around her feet, shadows started to form, and she could hear the swooshing of blue rhapsodies coming close. "Ummm...Wolf? Was this here last time too?"

"Yep." Wolf drew out his long sword. "And there will be more." Of course there would be, no one had been up here in ten years.

"More! Awww shi-...!" a shadow leapt up from the floor, jumping for Daisuk. With a swift stroke, she sliced it in half, disintegrating it in mid-air. "We need to get this thing going, I don't think we can take them all, not if there are more to come..." She slashed at another heartless. "How do we get this damn thing to work?"

"Kill enough of them." Wolf slashed down on a shadow that was beginning to form. "Or they way I used to, but I'd rather not."

"GRRR! They just keep coming! There's no way we can kill them all to get this going!" She said as she swiped at the growing heartless. "Anything's preferred to this! What the hell did you do last time?" A shadow leapt at her from behind, and she went down. "AHHH! WOLF DO SOMETHING!"

"Just keep them off me." Wolf stepped back. He placed his long sword and the ground and pulled out his great sword, placing it at his feet he moved the long sword onto it. He closed his eyes. "I'd prefer not to do this but…"

Daisuk turned back to Wolf, starting to get a little impatient. "Yes, I know, you don't want to do this. If you do it quickly, I'll buy you an ice cream...if we survive..." she swiped at another heartless.

"Fine, just don't be amazed by anything. And don't kill me." He picked up both swords and held them on the ground. Blue flames form around him in the shape of the Heart of Darkness. He looked at one of the heartless and they all disappear. The platform begins to move again and the flames disappear.

"Wow...I mean...not amazed, not at all." she said as she looked at Wolf. "Wait, that symbol...wasn't it...?" she backed away from Wolf to the other side of the platform and drew her sword. "What's going on here?" she asked, eyeing Wolf suspiciously.

"Knew it would be a bad idea..." He sighed. "I used to work for the heartless, it's why I know this place, once Ansem died though I stopped and threw away the single thing, I thought, that tied me to them. Turns out I was wrong. I still am a part of them somewhat, although it's not that much. I switched sides and wish for the Heartless to die."

* * *

A lone figure watched from the shadows, his lengthy white teeth showing over his lips as he smiled cruelly. He looked carefully at the children who were invading the palace, carefully noting the one who, if memory served, was called "Wolf." He had the power of the heartless as well... true, it was nowhere near as powerful as his own, but Wolf was still young, his power yet undeveloped. He slid further into the shadows to continue his study of his potential opponents.

* * *

Daisuk looked suspiciously at Wolf, sword still drawn. The platform stopped with a jolt; they were at the top. She sighed, and her hands lowered. "Well, I guess I'll have to trust you...besides, you used that because I forced you." She looked Wolf in the eye. "So you're sure that you've given up the darkness? You're not just gonna take me to a big room full of heartless, then let them kill me?" A shiver went up her spine. It was almost like she was being watched, but by more than one person. One of the presences felt...dark...and the other, well, the other figure wasn't exactly good, but he wasn't evil either. "Wolf, do you feel that? There are other people here..." She felt the dark presence leave into the shadows, which left one person left... 

"One, I can't promise that the room won't be filled with Heartless, but I will promise to do what I can to keep you two alive. And I know there are others here. Good or Evil no idea. Come on." He got off the platform and walked into the castle. "Not much longer till we reach where we're going."

Daisuk followed Wolf down more hallways, warily keeping an eye out for the beings that she knew were watching her. She drew her sword, "Just in case," she told Wolf.

Wolf stopped outside a door. "Haven't been in here for a long time."


	4. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer:** I don't own KH or FFVII... Square Enix does...

Chapter 3

"Well here goes nothing..." Daisuk gulped, and, with her sword still in hand, she opened the large doors and stepped inside. Suddenly, a large arm swept out of the darkness to grab her. "Whoa!" she said, as she leapt out of the way just in time. "What the hell was that! We need some light in here. Fire!" She shot fire into the darkness, and it brushed into something very large, before it hit a torch and lit up the room. There, in front of the two, was a huge darkside. "Aww crap. This isn't good."

"Oh so they added someone new. Easy." Wolf pulled out his crossbow.

"Easy! What do ya mean, easy?" She yelled, as she swiped at another hand that tried to grab her.

The Heart of Darkness formed on the arrow. He shoots the arrow at the Darkness, the arrow exploded on contact. "Easy." Wolf dropped the crossbow and drew his great sword. He ran at one of the legs and sliced it halfway open.

Daisuk went for the other leg, slicing it out from under it, and it came crashing to the ground. Suddenly, she had the funny tingling on the back of her neck again, like someone was watching. "Jeez already! I know you're there! I know you've been watching us throughout the castle. If you're gonna be here, the least you can do is help!"

The slightly ragged red cloak that trailed behind Cloud as he stepped further into the shadows fluttered only slightly in the faint breeze that always seemed to gust throughout the castle, and it was perhaps this sound that had first caught their attention. He sighed quietly, and saw the girl spin around to search wildly in his direction. He supposed he'd have to make himself known, though he would have much preferred to remain hidden from these strangers, watch them from afar, and perhaps stall the darkness that followed closely on their heels, waiting for just the right moment to strike. No doubt, they'd have questions, and far too many at that, but he knew now that without revealing himself, they would only be distracted from their journey, searching the shadows for an unseen enemy.

_Stupid kids. Why do I always end up being a babysitter? _

He shook his head slightly and drew his sword, which reflected faintly in the dull light of the castle, and leapt, flying into the air and raising the Buster sword high over his head, only to bring it down with a brute force straight down the middle of a Heartless. It shrieked in agony, and melted suddenly into the ground, defeated. Hearing its cry, some of the other Heartless whipped around, and, apparently spotting the newcomer, started toward him.

Cloud clenched his teeth and charged toward them, his sword held out before him, and, with a flash of silver, it cut through the five Hearltess, turning them once more into harmless shadow, and leaving the rest to hesitate, backing away slowly with their eyes glinting in the light.

Wolf watched Cloud, once the Heartless retreated Wolf just stared at Cloud. After a few second Wolf shook his head, "How did you do that?" No one should be able to make Heartless retreat, no one, but this person seemed to be able to scare them.

Cloud sighed, and turned to the boy.

"The Heartless are just that - heartless. They are primarily self serving beings. Willing to sacrifice another to test the limits of their own safety. They will retreat if they feel threatened."

As he spoke, Cloud drew his sword through another shadow being, making it scream out before it disintegrated into nothingness. Then he straightened up, turned his back to the two of them, and began to walk away again.

"Hey! Get back here!" Daisuk yelled to the man. "Who are you, and why have you been following us in the shadows?"

Cloud hesitated for a moment, but did not turn around to look at them.

"Many who come here do not go back," he said quietly over his shoulder. "The Heartless are the primary keepers of this place now. True, they have no ruler now. They are free to roam as they please, feasting off the darkness of the living." He sighed. "That darkness has been spreading. Worlds are going out of sync. Soon enough, both my world and yours will be gone. I seek the one powerful enough to stop that." He began walking again. "That is all. I suggest you leave this place. Neither Hollow Bastian...nor Kingdom Hearts are places that little children should play in."

"So you have a way to reach Kingdom Hearts. I doubt it since the single was that could reach it disappeared after Sora went in to Kingdom Hearts." Wolf moved toward Cloud.

"You're going to find Kingdom Hearts?" Daisuk said, staring at the new guy. "Then take us with you." she said stubbornly. "And I'll ask again, what's your name?" She knew she may have sounded childish and immature, but if he was right, and Destiny Islands was going to disappear...she'd do anything to stop it.

Cloud did not look at them as they tried stubbornly to peer into his face.

"Kingdom Hearts can be reached," he said tonelessly to Wolf. "Though not easily. As I said, it is not a place for young kids like you to go and live out childish fantasies in. If anyone is to stop our worlds from disappearing, it's the Keyblade master. Whether he chooses to do so or not is of his own decision."

He paused.

"If I am going, it is solely to aid this. I sure don't need to kids tagging along with me."

He paused. He knew they'd ask again why he'd been following them. The truth was, he wasn't entirely sure himself. Despite his skepticism, he sensed something from these kids, an aura he had not felt about anybody for a long time. It seemed beyond coincidence that these children would be the ones seeking the path to the Kingdom Hearts. Could they be the ones?

"I'm no kid; need that to be proved to you." Wolf held his great sword in one hand and reached for his crossbow.

Cloud looked down at him carelessly.

"I haven't the time to fight you, boy," he said coldly. "I suggest you escort your little girlfriend home, before something eats her."

With this slightly cynical comment, he turned on his heel and began to walk again, his ragged cloak billowing out behind him as he went.

She whipped around, blushing. "I'm not his girlfriend! And nothings gonna eat me!" she yelled to the stranger. "If you won't let us join, then we'll find it ourselves, we won't bother you. However," she said with a glare at the man, who still hadn't told them his name, "We will find Sora, and if it means beating you to it, then fine." She had a dominant look in her eye; she was not going to give up. "Come on Wolf," she said. "There might be a clue behind these big doors the heartless was guarding." With a last look at the man, she walked towards the doors, not knowing that a huge surprise was awaiting her in there...

Wolf glared at him then turned and followed her. "Careful when you open those doors, they lead to the Great Hall, where the keyhole is."

She threw open the doors, and walked in.

Cloud hesitated.

"Hey - kid!" he called, turning around as Wolf and Daisuk headed toward the doors of the great hall. "What business do you have with the Keyblade master? And don't-,"

He was too late, however, as the air was pierced suddenly with the sound of Daisuk's scream.

"What the..." Wolf dropped his great sword and pulled out his long sword, ready to fight whatever had attacked them.

Daisuk screamed with happiness, looking at the sight in front of her. 7 pedestals, with a giant keyhole behind them. Three of the pedestals were empty, but the other 4 held...

Keyblades.


	5. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer: **Don't own, don't sue... You know the drill.

Chapter 4

Wolf looked at them and put up his long sword. "Wow. Thought there were only two."

Cloud ran forward and then skidded to a halt with a sigh. Kids always seemed to get into everything, especially that of which they weren't supposed to touch.

"Hey, you..." he stopped. "What the...Keyblades!"

Brushing briskly past Wolf, he strode into the Great Hall, a deep frown creasing his face. _What is this?_

Cloud shook his head and frowned around the room. He'd been in here before, many a time, yet he'd never seen anything like this.

_What the hell is going on...?_ He wondered, glaring at the Keyblades. _Who's behind this!_

Wolf looked at him. "Any idea when those got there? They weren't there last time I was here. Then again that was awhile ago."

Cloud ignored his question and walked past the boy, the reflections of the glowing Keyblades highlighting his scowl.

_Could it be...that these worlds are not our own? Replicas, maybe? That would explain why nothing is the way it seems...this room, behind the door...is not a part of Hollow Bastion._

"And why do you refuse to answer anything?" Wolf was slowly being annoyed by this guy, he never answered any questions and treated them as if they were little more then kids.

Cloud whipped around unexpectedly as the boy approached him and hit him brutally across the face, causing Wolf to fall to one knee for a moment.

"Listen!" he growled, "you and your girlfriend shouldn't be here. Things are getting out of hand as it is...there's no place for you here! Don't you understand!"

He bore down on Wolf, his eyes flashing. He was at least two feet taller than the boy and seemed to be using this to his advantage. "These Keyblades...you kids...it's no coincidence. Neither you nor the Keyblades should be here. The fact that you are means that this place that we're in right now...it is not truly Hollow Bastian. The balance of things has gone out of whack, and worlds are beginning to collide, merge, and change." He pulled Wolf roughly to his feet. "Get it through your head. And tell me - why are you here?"

Wolf responded slowly, "To find Sora, in order to get rid of the Darkness."

"Hey! Get your hands off my friend!' Daisuk yelled, and ran towards him, knocking Wolf from his grip. "You say it's no coincidence, so let's see what happens next." she said to Cloud coldly. She turned around, back towards the pedestals. She looked over her shoulder at Cloud as she walked. "And for the last time, I'm not his girlfriend." She looked at all the keyblades, deciding which one to try first. Eventually, she decided on a long black on, with vines up and down its length. She reached for it...

..And was thrown 20 feet into the air. "Ouch!" she yelled, as she hit the wall and slid down it to the ground, a little in shock about what had just happened.

Wolf looked at her, "You okay?" He then looked at the keyblades.

Cloud looked down at Wolf, who was now on the ground again from where Daisuk had pushed him. He grabbed the front of Wolf's shirt and pulled him to his feet again.

"I admire your courage, kid," he said gruffly. "But what makes you believe you are the ones to bring back the Keyblade master? Cure," he added, raising his hand in Daisuk's direction, keeping his eyes trained on Wolf's face, awaiting an answer.

A white light filled the air and surrounded Daisuk for a moment from where she sat at the bottom of the wall, dazed.

"Well?" Cloud asked quietly.

"How about you drop me before I tell you." Wolf looked at this man, "You look tough but what do you know about Sora?"

Cloud nodded, and let go of Wolf's shirt. "There. You're free." He folded his arms. "Are you going to try and fight me now?"

Seeing the boy made no move, he uncrossed his arms again and nodded. "Good. And I'm asking the questions around here, kid. At least for now. Again, I'm asking you - what makes you think you're the ones destined to bring back the one who wields the Keyblade?"

Daisuk slowly picked herself up off the floor. "We are the ones destined," she said, as she slowly approached Cloud, "because I can feel it in my heart that we are." staring Cloud in the face the entire time, said to Wolf, "Go, you try this time."

"I do not believe I am destined, but I do believe she is." Wolf watched him carefully, "And you need to answer some question yourself." He moved to the same keyblade and placed his hand on it and tried to remove it.

Daisuk turned to Wolf, still keeping an eye on Cloud. "Well, at least you haven't been blown away yet..." she said dryly.

"Yeah," Wolf pulled out the keyblade and looked down the blade.

Cloud nodded as the boy drew the Keyblade, and turned to Daisuk. "I can see the light inside you. No one's heart has shined that brightly since..."

He shook his head. "Maybe you are destined. After all, the fate of the world has been placed in the hands of a child before...even so..." he looked down at her. "I'll come with you...and I vow to protect you. I have some questions myself." He looked away for a moment. His memory had yet to return to him, the memory of his past, his life, everything that had lead up to the point before one of the Lords of Darkness had stolen from him what was once rightfully his.

Hitching his massive sword up onto his shoulder, Cloud put a hand gently on Daisuk's head and muttered another Cure spell, easing the last of her pain from the collision with the wall and shock of the Keyblade repeller.

"Now," he said gruffly. "Don't think you can just walk up to any Keyblade and snatch it up. Keyblades are what unlocks the heart. Follow your own heart, it will guide you to the Keyblade destined to fit your hands...if you are, in fact, the one who will start on this journey to find the Keyblade mas-...to find Sora. Let your heart connect to the Keyblade that calls to you, or it will not come, and you will not know which one to take."

He turned to Wolf, finally averting his gaze from Daisuk's face. "And you. Boy. What's your business here? Why are you with her?"

Wolf looked at Cloud. "Me? Oh, I'm here because I'm with her. We're friends… By strange things that happened."

Cloud nodded. "You pulled a Keyblade from the Pedestal. I think you underestimate yourself. Not just anyone can wield a Keyblade. You're as much a part of her destiny as she is." He nodded at Daisuk. "I'm coming along. I want to know what these Keyblades are doing here...why everything is changing. I want to find out who's behind this."

_And I want to find out who I really am..._ he thought silently, turning away from the two of them and looking up toward the sky.


	6. Chapter 5

**Disclaimer: **Don't own, don't sue.

Chapter 5

Daisuk looked at Cloud, then at the keyblade that Wolf now held in his hand. "My heart burns bright? I'm guessing that's a good thing," she smiled. "Okay, follow you heart." She closed her eyes, sensing the remaining 3 pedestals in front of her. Of the remaining three, she felt drawn to one in particular. She opened her eyes, and looked at the keyblade. It was white, pure, heavenly white. The handle was a circle with a line through it for grip, and small, metal, golden wings on the side. The shaft o the blade was the purest white, except for one, golden, engraved word: Love. At the end o the side, it looped around, shaping a white heart for the key part. Daisuk slowly walked forward. She knew this was hers, but she didn't want to take any chances, just incase she was thrown again. She reached for the handle, and grabbed hold tightly. Then, with one quick tug, she pulled it off the pedestal. There was a flash of bright light, and then Daisuk stood there, holding the keyblade in one hand. "Wow," she said. She looked up at Wolf and Cloud. "That was cool."

"Yeah." Wolf slashed through the air with his keyblade. "Hmmm, I like it." Wolf grinned, "Wonder who the other two are for…"

"Maybe they're here, but they just haven't come to the room yet," said Daisuk, as she waved her keyblade around in the air childishly. "Well, I guess I won't need this anymore..." she unbuckled her broadsword belt, and slid it off her back." Ahhh, much better...hey, what's that?" she asked, peering closely at a plaque on her keyblade's pedestal. "There's not much engraved here...it just says "Hearts...maybe that's what this does! Unlocks and locks hearts!...wait, didn't Riku have one like this in the Legends? It said he brought darkness to their hearts...I don't wanna do that..." she dropped the keyblade, but as soon as it hit the ground, it reappeared in her hands again. "It's white though...and says love...that's not bad, right? Maybe...maybe it brings light to the darkness!" she said happily. "Maybe it unlocks peoples hearts, but bring out the good, rather than the bad. What's your plaque say, Wolf?"

Cloud nodded as the two of them studied their newfound weapons, ignoring Daisuk as she spoke. "Good. You trusted your hearts. It's about the only thing you can rely on...remember that." He turned toward the great doors they'd walked through. "You must seal this place. Keyblades may be connected to the heart, but that doesn't mean the heart has to be pure. And I have a feeling someone else is going to come after those remaining Keyblades...someone who shouldn't ever get a hold of that power." He turned to the two of them. "Go on, then! You're the Keyblade wielders, now...wield something!"

He waved his hand impatiently and began striding out of the Great Hall with his cloak blowing out behind him. "And make sure it's locked, there must be no chances of anyone entering."

"Okay." Daisuk turned to Wolf. "Guess we'd better lock this from the outside, so we don't lock ourselves in, eh?" Daisuk strode out the corridor, and into the next room. "Ready when you are!" she called to him.

Wolf read through his. "Hmm." He looked at it and his keyblade. "Joy. From how I understand this it has the power to unlock worlds." Wolf stared at his Keyblade, "At least they don't have it. Unlikely I'll ever use it." Wolf followed her out, "You sure it's a good idea to lock those in there?"

XxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxX

Zephyr was greatly alarmed. One of the children, the one with the power of darkness had the power of the keyblade. A keyblade wielder. He could easily sense the power of these children, an intense aura emanating from both of them. And Cloud as well of course, his potential was immense. Naturally he was drawn to them... Zephyr would have to be careful in the future, and perhaps he would be able to succeed...

XxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxX

"Joy? That's interesting. Nice to know that you have it and not the darkness...and yeah, it's probably for the best. Besides, if a person comes along that is destined to get a keyblade, I'm sure that they'll get to it someway...or the keyblade will find them." she said to Wolf. "Uh..." she looked to Cloud. "You're the current keyblade master here...so...how do you lock the door?"

"You will," said Cloud, stepping out of the Great Hall and turning to scowl at Wolf. "In the depths of the world known as Kingdom Hearts lies the keyhole to all worlds. With that, all worlds can be sealed, and none can be reopened, as they have been in the past." He watched as the two of them raised their Keyblades uncertainly, unsure of how to seal such a place, and jump back in alarm as their weapons emitted a pale light, channeling toward the lock on the enormous door and melting the keyhole that yawned open in the very center of it. "That is what Sora set out to do. To seal Kingdom Hearts. He thought it would finally end the reign of the Heartless, would finally stop all worlds from colliding, changing. He thought he could restore the balance. At least, that's what I believe." He turned away. "However...it seems that now, someone has found a way to tamper with it."

Wolf tossed his keyblade into the air and caught it. He reached for his other sword. "Wonder if I still need them, I'm keeping the crossbow but these..."

"I've never owned a Keyblade," he growled, moving away. "Seeing as how you just found out how to seal that door, however, I think that you should be able to figure everything out for yourself. Have you forgotten what I told you already? I said, follow your heart." He shook his head. "Damn kids," he muttered under his breath. He turned his back on them and put his sword over his shoulder.

"Come on," he said gruffly, not looking at them. "Let's go."

Keter Zephyr had had enough. He stepped out of the shadows and into the open where he could be seen. "I am pleased to see that all of you are making yourselves so comfortable in my castle," he said in a thick accent. "I thank you for removing the blades for me, but I would kindly thank you to hand them over now to their rightful owner. And that would be me."

Wolf looked at Keter Zephyr he knew him but couldn't remember his name only that his worked with the darkness also. "You and I'm not giving this to you." Wolf grins.

Cloud whipped around in a flash, his sword held out before him quicker than the eye could see, his eyes focused on this newcomer.

_Castle?_ He thought as he moved slowly toward the man before him. _So I was right. This isn't Hollow Bastian. Our worlds...they've all began to merge. Is this who's behind it all?_

"Back off," he growled, unwilling to speak to this stranger. He took another step forward in front of Daisuk and Wolf. "What business do you have here?"

"Of course, I assumed you would say so. However..." he trailed off, waving his hand. His eyes flashed blood red, and shadows began to surround him. "You assume I'm giving you a choice in the matter, whereas I am not." He summoned three heartless, one for each of the children, and one for Cloud, and turned on his heel. "I expect that they'll be in my possession before too long."

"You have a few questions to answer first." Wolf held up his hands, blue flames began to form in the shape of the Heart of Darkness around the room, the flames leaped into the air.

He began to laugh deeply. "Your pathetic power is nothing compared to mine... however... I will humor you. Ask me your questions."

Cloud eyed the blue flames emitting from the boy's hands, but fought to not let them distract him.

_He has power, there's no doubt about that_, Cloud thought, tearing his gaze away from Wolf and glaring at the stranger's back.

"You're not going anywhere, buddy."

Cloud ran forward, his cape flying out behind him, and brought his blade down through the middle of the Heartless, making it cry out. It took a swipe at him, grazing his skin, and he shoved the Buster sword through its chest. It screeched again, and melted to the floor, defeated.

Cloud leapt over it as it died and charged toward Keter Zephyr, his weapon at the ready. "Die!"

Wolf looked at the Heartless that was sent to attack him. He grinned, as the Heartless moved to attack him he grabbed its arm and pushed it past him, he then stabbed the Heartless and ripped out his sword.

Daisuk cut off her attack, watching Cloud go for it. Instead, she amused herself with some of the normal heartless, taking one on with her keyblade. "Okay...time to learn to use this thing." She awkwardly slashed at the heartless, missing him every time. "Grrrr...This is irritating me!" a white light shot out of the tip of her keyblade, and obliterated the heartless. Daisuk fell back, stunned. "Oh... I guess it tried to find the heart and unleash the good...but there was nothing there..." Daisuk didn't notice the other heartless sneaking up behind her...

Wolf looked toward Daisuk. "Ummm." he ran at the Heartless, slashing one. "Yeah, you might want to turn around."

Daisuk turned around, just seeing the heartless evaporate. "Oh! Uh, thanks." she smiled and got up off the ground. "Okay, let's kill something!" she said eagerly, nodding to Wolf.

Wolf looked around, there were tons of Heartless. He grinned, "Fun." He charged into the Heartless, slashing at them, stabbing others.

Daisuk stood back to back with Wolf, destroying heartless, and gradually getting used to her new weapon. "Funny, last time we had a battle, you said battling heartless was anything but fun, but you seem to agree now!" she smiled, as she wiped out more heartless, her keyblade dimly glowing.

"Last time I didn't have a Keyblade. Hmm...Wonder if it still works." He slashed down more Heartless.

"Wonder if what works?" she asked, starting to get tired and sweaty. "I'm up for anything right now, as long as it kills...at a massive rate..."

"Massive rate, no." Wolf jumped into the air, he landed on one of the Heartles, and he spins it then throws it into another Heartless, the two start fighting. "Yep it works."

Daisuk collapsed to the ground against a wall. "Can't take much more!" She looks over at Cloud, who has currently taken 20 minutes to charge Zephyr. "Well, I'm getting no help from them," she mumbled. "Lets see if I can do that first thing, but on a much larger scale." She lifted her keyblade into the air, and a huge white burst came out of it, then fountained down over her. She leaned her keyblade against the wall. "That'll work" she said, as she passed out, her keyblade's shield still covering her.

Wolf watched the Heartless as they began fighting each other. He stared amazed. "Didn't know it could pass to others." He watched them as they killed each other off.

The Heartless stopped fighting and looked at Wolf. "Ummmmm...Help." The Heartless charged at him.

_What fools they are, rushing to attack me like that... they have no idea of the powers I hold_. Keter Zephyr slid his whip from the holster at his side and his eyes flashed blue. "Blizzaga infusion!" he shouted, and the whip glowed blue, being charged with ice energy. He was of course, not the greatest ice user, but it would be MORE than enough for children... especially ones who had apparently never seen magic of this sort in their lives. _Let them come..._

"Don't even try it!" Cloud growled, thrusting his sword upwards toward this stranger. "Nobody's getting in their way."

He leapt up in the air and began to bring the sword down, aiming right for Keter Zephyr's chest...

With a flick of his wrist, he casually blocked Cloud's attack, sending a wave of frost over and through the cold steel of the blade. "Honestly now, is that all I'm up against? I might as well have used regular blizzard, my absolute weakest spell. Even that would have been overkill. Now since I have quite clearly demonstrated my power, why don't I get rid of these - "he gestured, and all the heartless faded into the shadows - "and we can speak rationally about why I am to possess the keyblades."

_What fools... Wait... is that a...no... two! Are those Keyblades? So that's what was in that room..._ She thinks then walks out of the shadows and draws her whip, ready to join the fight should she be needed. _Maybe if I help them they'll open the door to the keyblade room... Who knows if I'd be able to wield one, but..._

_

* * *

_**Flames** Will be used to make a nice Christmas fire for me and my RP friends that helped to write this.

**A/N: **This is most likely going to be the last chapter up this year. You know... with the Holidays, visiting family and whatnot. Happy Christmahannukwanzakah!


	7. Chapter 6

**Disclaimer:** Don't own, don't sue.

Chapter 6

Cloud grunted, straining to heave the ice-clad sword into the air, and smashed it against a nearby wall, shattering the icy layer that engulfed it.

"Nice try," he muttered, brushing aside the stray icicles that had missed the sword and hit him. He stuck the tip of the Buster sword into the ground and glared at the man, standing slightly in front of the three teenagers.

"Who are you?" he growled.

"Yes. Who exactly are you? ... ALL of you. And why are there more keyblades?" She makes her prescence known.

Wolf slowly moved away from the Heartless, or he tried to, they had him in the middle of a circle and weren't about to let him through. If this went on much long he won't be alive.

"I am, of course, the owner of the castle. Well, the owner of most things really. But see, these keyblades sorta had me locked in here, and, lets face it, evil is not quite so easy to create when you're locked in your palace. Hence, I need the keyblades. You give them to me, I get out, and I don't kill you... or I kill you and then take them. As I demonstrated, its really not suck a difficult task, you arent yet that powerful."

"A palace, huh?" Cloud growled. "This is supposed to be Hollow Bastian. What is this...this merging of worlds? It's as if someone has been tampering with the keyhole in Kingdom Hearts..." he narrowed his eyes and raised his sword. "That wouldn't have anything to do with you, would it?"

She growls then glares at the heartless surrounding Wolf. They look confused for a moment then bow before her. "I want you all to... dance." She orders them. They do it. "You are not the only one who wields power over darkness."

"In a sense it does... see, my power works a lot like gravity - stronger things attract weaker things. No obviously with all the worlds merged I wouldn't need the keyblades to move around, but the fusion could take time, and this place is bloody boring." He cracked his neck menacingly. "So is this gunna be easy for me, or fun for me?"

"It depends," He had first insulted her, then ignored her. She would not let that slide. "Do you like pain?"

"This is going to be hell for you," Cloud snarled. He raised his sword. "Come on!"

Again, he ran at Zephyr with sword in hand, swinging around and flinging the weapon brutally across the man's chest, and back again, before raising it over his head to strike down upon his enemy...

He laughed for a moment before speaking again. "Oh wait, you were... serious? You honesly thought that you could cause me pain." He continued to chuckle. "Why do we not make a game of it. I will let you all go. Once the worlds merge we will fight again. Then we will see which of us is more powerful."

Silver stumbled a bit, then stood as she watched the portal she fell through dissapear. She heard alot of noise and turned towards everyone, her eyes wide with confusion. "Uhhh...Hi everyone?" she called out, not knowing where the hell she was or what was going on. She spotted a girl looking kinda..well...weak, and frowned walking over to her. "Um.. you alright..? May I ask where am I... and WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON?" she screamed, beyond confused.

She watches Cloud's assault at first. "Not bad! Not bad at all!" She then draws her throwing daggers and throws them at Keter Zephyr, they both hit him, somewhere.

Wolf looked at the Heartless. "What the?" The blue flames disappeared. Wolf shook his head a few times.

She turns to Wolf. "Like it? They CAN be entertaining at times."

Cloud raised his weapon once more to strike the stranger, but as the blade came down over Keter's heart, there was a brilliant flash, and, quite suddenly, Cloud's sword hit the ground, slicing through nothing but the cold, dry air around them.

"Damn it..." he whispered.

"Yeah, it's kind of funny." Wolf looked down his arm at the blood flowing down it. "Well...It was going to happen."

Silver blinked and noticed she was unconsious, then knelt down and gulped. She remembered her grandmothers old potions and grinned, remembering how she had stolen one incase of testing. She poured it into the girls mouth and waited to see if it worked.

Daisuk, stirred, the shield around her disappearing. She looked around her at the battle site; it seemed lik she was the only one weak enough to have actaully been passed out. "Of course, only me," she mumbled to herself. She looked at the girl kneeing by her with the empty bottle, and smiled. "Thanks a lot, I really needed that." She got up off the ground, still uneasy a little, and walked towards the others. "Everyone okay here?" She noticed th blood on Wolfs arm. "Ah! Cloud! Heal him already!" she yelled, hovering over her hurt friend.

Silver yelped and fell backwards from surprise as the girl who was once unconsious started yelling. She glared as she stood, strands of her silky blond hair falling over her golden orbs of childlike stubborness and fire, the long locks swaying fast with her movement. Her dress swayed slightly, her hands in fists as she screamed with anger. "WILL SOMEONE TELL ME WHERE THE HELL I AM?" she cried angrily, her voice weak and exhasperated from confusion and slight fear.

"Hey, you don't look so good." She healed Wolf. "Now can SOMEONE tell me WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON!"

Cloud ignored them as they spoke, instead walking to the spot where Zephyr had disappeared. The ground where the man had stood was burnt black...Cloud could feel the heat from it even where he stood. He sighed.

"And so it begins..."


	8. Chapter 7

**A/N:**HA I liiiive! First update in... how long? Heh... Pathetic thing is, the whole story's already written, I just have to edit it... U

**Disclaimer:**I don't own any of squeenix's characters, Daisuk, Wolf, Donovan, Keter, or Silver... Just Akane and a fraction of the storyline. This was a roleplay with me and a bunch of (now) friends, so its technically a collaboration... I'm just the one posting it.

Chapter 7

Daisuk fell back as she was yelled at by both new girls. "Uh... you're at Hollow Bastion... an... and you just fought bunch of bad guys?" she stammered out.

Wolf looked at the one who healed him, "Thank you." Wolf looked around again. "Two people who weren't here before. I want off this world."

She smacks her forehead. "Yes, yes. I KNOW all that! I HAVE been following you since you got here. Something drew me to this place... But you sealed the room it is coming from..."

Cloud scoffed at Wolf as he spoke. "There is no 'off' this world. Like it or not, all these worlds are merging. You're stuck here."

He brushed past Wolf and looked around. "Well, he's gone. No doubt he'll come back soon enough..."

_I'm ready to take on your challenge, stranger._

"...I did? And what's Hollow Bastion? And why's that guy all the way over there sulking?" she questioned genuinely confused, directing a finger towards Cloud. She then blinked and took a step backwards from everyone, her eyes wide.

_...the auras... I see them... they are so...different... And I feel power coming from them... WHY do I see auras! Why am I so cursed? _

Pure fear and horror shined in her golden orbs, trembling as she held a hand to her mouth and the other hand clutching her chest.

Daisuk got up; she was tired of hitting the ground today, and had no intention of doing it again. Well, lets find somewhere safe to rest, we can figure out what your two" she pointed at the two girls, "are doing here."

"What do you mean? I was drawn here by whatever's in that room. I can sense it." She then looks at Silver. "You seem freaked out. What is it? Is it the heartless following my whim? I could just kill them..."

Silver trembled still, backing away with one step.

"N-no...g-get away..." she stuttered, almost choking the words out as a few strands of her hair fell in front of her horror filled eyes.

_Those auras... if they find out I can see them they'll think I'm a freak like everyone else!_

"Ah. That's not it, then. If you have some sort of power, tell us. We won't think it strange. We all have some form of "strange" power."

"... W... wha-...?" Silver continued trembling, but stopped stepping backwards, her held her hand to her chest, staring at the girl.

"...H... how... I can see auras... and feel levels of power... I was always feared for that fact and shunned away. That is why I was fearing being near you all.." she murmured with her soft smooth voice, her bangs covering her eyes fully as she tilted her head down.

Cloud turned at this, and strode away from his corner to glare at the girl.

"Whaddya mean, auras?" he growled, bearing down upon her.

Daisuk stamped her foot and hit Cloud in the arm. "Leave her alone, you bully, she's already scared!"

Cloud ignored her. "Well?" he demanded.

Silver growled, an anime vein appearing on her head as she held her hands tightly to her chest glaring up at Cloud... who she found about a head and a half taller.

"GET OUT OF MY FACE! Sheesh... anyways AS I WAS SAYING before I was so RUDELY interrupted... I can feel auras and power levels. Auras meaning evil, good, and determined by the hue or color of the aura I can see power levels or their strength." she remarked, glaring at Cloud the whole time with a small blush caused from anger.

Cloud sighed and turned away.

_Why do I always have to end up babysitting a bunch of stupid kids?_ He thought.

Silver frowned as she crossed her arms. She noticed a slight change in the color of Cloud's aura and her eyes narrowed.

"So you're annoyed by one girl so easily? Sheesh. Jerk..." she muttered, and then sighed only trying to stand up for herself. She took the free time to get a closer look at all the people and last looked at Cloud and blushed, not even bothering to look at someone she annoyed.

_I don't like this,_ Cloud thought darkly. _It's like having someone entering into your mind and taking a look around..._

"Stop looking at me," he said sharply, not wanting to be read by some girl. "We need to go." He glared at Daisuk and Wolf. "The world won't wait to seal itself. Hurry up."

He turned away again.

Silver looked hurt and glared at him, and then started walking away from everyone. She sighed and sat alone, confused, and desperate to just die. Already she knew she wasn't accepted... she hugged her knees to her chest sitting in the shadows, far enough away from everyone. She started singing very beautifully, the second of her two talents. One was the auras, singing the second. She sang "Eyes on Me" from final fantasy, her voice soft and gentle and hoping no one could here... hence why she moved away. Her hair fell over her shoulders, her head tilted down slightly as pain, anger and sadness filled her eyes.

Cloud sighed wearily as he looked over at the girl, who had now settled into a corner. She was sniffling softly and singing something - Cloud didn't much care what - though he had a feeling, as he looked around at the two newcomers, that the number of kids he would have to take care of had gone up.

_Might as well try to keep them happy_, he thought, shaking his head as he strode over to Silver. _They'll slow us down otherwise..._

With this in mind, he approached Silver awkwardly, and stood beside her for a moment. She didn't seem to notice him, as she sat with her head in her arms, and her sobbing drowned out the sound of his impatient clearing of the throat. Sighing, he nudged her with his foot.

"I...'m sorry," he said gruffly, forcing the words out as best he could and trying to sound sincere. He never thought he'd catch himself saying something like that. "It's...uh...okay."

He looked down at her from where he stood, still as a statue and quite uncertain of what to do next. Awkwardly, he patted her on the head.

"We need to go," he said, gesturing at Wolf and Daisuk.

Then he walked away.

Silver lifted her head after she heard his footsteps disappearing, but she then looked ahead and at the ground. Her eyes glittered with unshed tears, hugging her knees tighter to her chest.

_I will only slow them down... but he apologized... And I accept it, but I can't go... _

"I'm sorry... I can't go..." she whispered quietly to herself, then stood silently and backed deeper into the shadows.

She glanced back one more time at the new people she had met then started to make a run for it. If she didn't learn to fight, she would slow them down... she couldn't allow it. Her tears sparkled as they fell down her face, now lost. She ran for a while now and she didn't have a trace of where she was. She felt evil presences all around her, making her nervous as she walked with a look of determination and depression flickering into her golden orbs. She soon became distant, not thinking of where she was or what she was doing.

Cloud watched her go. He had seen her, yet he did not try to stop her. It was her own choice, and he felt it best not to interfere. It would lighten the load...one less child to look out for.

He looked around at the ones that remained.

_Now where could that man have gotten to...?_

Silver grew tired, feeling like she had been walking for hours...which she probably had. She groaned and fell onto her butt, frowning as she looked around. Suddenly she froze, her eyes frozen to a certain tree. She felt dark presences...coming fast. She slowly had risen into a standing position, desperately looking around for a weapon.

_Dammit, NOW look what you've gotten yourself into idiot! _

She stared in horror as she turned around, seeing a large black... creature. She took a step back shakily, her eyes wide as she trembled.

_That... thing... that's what attacked me before I ended up here! Where ever 'here' is...--! _

"AIIIE! GET AWAY!" she screamed, stumbling backwards as she avoided a swipe. Her eyes dulled, knowing she would probably die now...

_...for the better, huh? My family disowned me... everyone dislikes me... I guess this is my fate, huh..._

Silver screamed, avoiding another attack. She stumbled and skidded into the ground roughly, forming a small crater as she got swiped across the face. A cut was slashed across the right side of her face on her cheek, blood slowly trickling from the wound. She cringed, trembling as tears mixed with the blood.

_..I'm... going to...die...no... I don't want to die...not...yet...no..._

Slowly the creature headed towards where Silver was embedded in the ground, Silver now unconscious as blood trickled from various cuts on her arms and legs, a few on her cheeks. She lay in a crater on her back, many bruises staining her slender figure. Her hair was spread across the ground, a few strands over her closed eyes.

Cloud whipped around suddenly as a piercing shriek reached his ears, and, almost automatically, he drew his sword again as his cloak whipped out behind him. Wolf, Daisuk, and the newcomer stopped too.

"What was that?" Daisuk whispered, looking alarmed.

Cloud ignored her and instead began striding toward the source of the scream, picking up the pace as he heard another cry, followed by the screech of a Heartless.

It was faint, but still audible, and became louder as he drew ever closer to it, his heavy footsteps leaving a cloud of dust in his wake. He covered ground quickly, though it was still a good while before he found himself making any considerable progress.

At last, the scene came into view. That girl, the one with the yellow eyes, was curled up next to a rock, tears and blood streaming down her face like a river, her arms bruised and battered as she cowered from the massive Heartless that loomed before her.

"FIRAGA!" Cloud roared, throwing his hand forward.

A gust of flame engulfed the Heartless and it screeched again, falling to one side as Cloud ran toward the two of them.

"Cure!" he yelled, spinning around as the spell hit Silver and holding up his sword, standing defiantly between her and the Heartless. "Thundara!"

The creature let out another agonized sound, and loped forward. It was massive - quite as tall as Cloud, if not taller, and it seemed twice as wide. It raised a black, clawed arm and swiped it brutally across Cloud's body, catching him in the arm and leaving a splattering of blood on the ground.

Cloud fell to one knee for a moment, then powered forward, lashing out at the Heartless with his sword. It fell onto all fours and screamed at him. Cloud lowered his weapon slightly in confidence, but the creature took a flying leap at him, knocking him to one side and swiping at him again. The force of the blow knocked Cloud into a wall shoulder first. He hit the ground hard and lay there for a few moments as his cloak settled down around him.

"Ugh..."

He stuck his sword into the ground and pushed himself up, stumbling slightly.

"B-blizzaga..."

The spell did not to the damage intended, though it still made the Heartless cower backwards for a moment.

"Fire!"

Cloud looked up at the sound of the voice and saw Daisuk running forward, having finally caught up with him, casting a spell toward the monster.

"Fire! Fire!"

Reaching it, she leapt into the air with her Keyblade held high over her head, brought it down into the Heartless, stabbing it in the chest. It let out one final cry, and melted seamlessly into the ground.

Cloud shook his head, pulled his sword out of the ground and stepped forward, stumbling slightly. He looked down at Silver.

"There's no way to escape this world for now," he rasped. "You'd best stay with the two Keyblade wielders. I doubt you'll survive long on your own."

He turned, and began walking again.

"Let's go," he said over his shoulder, limping slightly as he walked. "We've lost some time. We need to hurry."

"Hey..." Daisuk said, hurrying up to him and trying to put a hand on his arm. "Aren't you hurt-?"

"I'm fine!" Cloud snarled, throwing her off him and striding forward again. "Let's go."

Barely able to stay awake or focus her vision, Silver stared at the blur of Cloud through half opened eyes. She cringed and closed her eyes, then became out cold, due to loosing so much blood though she was healed. Before she passed out, only a very very quiet murmur was heard from her but she doubted anyone could here.

"Thank...you..." she murmured, then that's when she passed out.

XxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxX

Donovan dug through the trash of his alley, searching for food. To anyone passing by it would look like an animal was rooting through the trash. He stumbled upon a banana peel... but with no banana left. Whoever threw the peel away ate the entire banana. He dug deeper. This time he found an apple core. Ah, remove the seeds and its lunch time! Donovan used his tiny claws to pick out the seeds, then broke the apple in half horizontally and ate it. He didn't really require much food as a Heartless, but it was nice to eat. It reminded him of being human again. Donovan walked over to the hole in the fence at the end of the ally. He remembered when that boy and the duck and dog broke through the fence by charging at it, thus increasing his living space. He hid in the broken crate in the corner the entire time. Donovan just wished something interesting would happen. If only Pinocchio would come by so he could talk with him.

XxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxX

Cloud sighed impatiently as he stared down at the now unconscious girl behind him...this was going to be an unpleasantly long journey. He bent down, yanked the girl off the ground and hoisted her onto his back with her arms hanging over his shoulders. He nodded to the others.

"She'll wake up sooner or later. Now hurry up. Let's go."

Wolf looked at Cloud, "You still have yet to tell us your name. And where are we going."

Cloud stared at him cynically.

"Where we're going?" he mused. "What, you've forgotten what you set out to do already?" he turned away and looked over his shoulder. "I'm going to Kingdom Hearts."

"But is it possible to get there yet, something happened to let the Heartless out. The worlds are merging, but is Kingdom Hearts a world?"

Daisuk looked at Wolf. "Well, from the legends, I don't think Kingdom Hearts itself is a world, but doors leading to a world, which means the doors are here somewhere...if the man's right about the merging." She turned around and stared at Cloud again. "And, if you don't tell us your bloody name, I'm gonna start calling you POWDERPUFF!" she yelled at him.

"Doors to Kingdom Hearts. It would take forever to find. And how are we to find this door." Wolf laughed a little at the name Daisuk may give Cloud.

Cloud paused, with Silver dangling off his back. Then he resumed walking, his pace quickened and his cape blowing out behind him.

"My name's Cloud," he muttered gruffly as he walked away, refusing to look at them as he spoke.

Daisuk smiled, happy that she had finally gotten a name. "Maybe I'll call you Powderpuff anyways," she teased, "Just to annoy you. I mean, we're just _kids_ to you, after all...you can't get mad at our immaturity." She grinned evilly.

Cloud growled quietly under his breath. It was as if fate was mocking him. Never would he have imagined he'd end up journeying to Kingdom Hearts with a bunch of kids - one of them getting a free ride on his back, at that - to find another kid who was supposed to be able to seal all worlds.

_Stupid kids._

Wolf looked at Cloud. "I think that name, Powderpuff fits you."

"Yes! Mr. Powderpuff it is!" she said, a huge grin across her face. She started walking down the hallways, following Cloud. _This is nice,_ she thought. _We may be in serious danger here, but I'm with my friends, nothing can go wrong._ She started whistling under her breath, keeping up a happy mood.

Cloud ignored her, his face slipping under the wrap around his neck slightly as he felt a vague flush creep up his neck.

"There may be other doors that need sealing," he muttered. "Only those with the power of the Keyblade can lock them. So pay attention."

Wolf followed Cloud. "Or unlock them." Wolf grinned at this thought.

Silver groaned slightly, shuffling a bit. She slowly woke, her eyes opening a sliver showing a sliver of gold. She was in pain, though Cloud healed her... which confused her as she remembered what happened.

_..Why...do I still feel pain... if he healed me..? An after effect...? Who knows...? Wait... AHHH IM ON HIS BAACK! _

She blushed majorly, raising her head slightly with wide eyes.

Daisuk looked questioningly at Cloud, and noticed the sight redness in his face. She burst out laughing. Noticing questioning stares from her mates, she laughed even harder. "Cloud...he...he's blushing! If I ever needed proof of a god, here it is!" she said, laughing even harder, eventually falling to her knees, while laughter shook through her body.

Daisuk noticed Silver wake up, and the huge blush go across her face too. Laughing even harder, she fell flat out on the ground; even though she knew she was probably gonna get kicked there.

Cloud gritted his teeth, ignoring Daisuk's laughter. He glanced over his shoulder to see that the bloodied girl he was carrying was, in fact, awake.

"Good," he said. Then, quite suddenly, without warning he let his arms fall to his sides and dropped her. "Now come on. We have a ways to go."

He took off walking again, slinging his sword over his shoulder and not looking back.

Wolf tried hard not to laugh. He shook his head, "Cloud, if this weren't so funny I'd feel pity on you, but it's too funny, so no pity." Wolf ended up laughing.

Silver cried out and fell on her butt, then glared at him still blushing as she rubbed her butt standing and mumbling under her breath,

"Jerk..."

Silver stomped up in front of Cloud and glared with her hands on her hips, fire in her eyes.

"And WHY did you drop me?" she yelled, wishing she could slap him but for some reason she couldn't help but restrain herself from LAUGHING.

Cloud stared down at the now thoroughly awake damsel in distress with a look of disgruntlement about his face.

"I'm not a donkey," he growled. "If you're awake, you carry your own weight." He sighed, and raised a hand, placing it against her head. "Cura."

He looked around at the rest of them. "Stop standing around. Let's go."

Daisuk looked around at what she had started. Almost everybody was laughing! Well, she was glad she had been able to bring a brief good moment to her friends. She got up, still giggling a little, as she watched Silver laugh at Cloud, while still trying to yell at him for dropping her.

Silver twitched and growled, about to strangle him. She rolled her eyes and pinched his hand then walked over to Daisuk and walked beside her, her arms crossed and glaring at Cloud the whole time with a grudging look, a small mild blush still painting her cheeks.

Daisuk smiled, and stuck her tongue out at Cloud, then turned and continued walking with Silver.

Cloud sighed, and put a hand to his forehead briefly. He felt too old to be putting up with things like this. Irritated, he slid his hand around the hilt of his sword and swung around suddenly; throwing it out in front of him and making them all jump back.

"Stay focused!" he snarled. "There are Heartless about, and all of our worlds are running out of time. Now...move!"

Just to piss him off, Silver suddenly stopped walking and stood there glaring with her arms crossed.

Daisuk jumped. "Jeez, I know you don't like me, but do you have to try and _kill me_?" she said sarcastically. "I think you need to take a happy pill, Mr. Powderpuff, and calm down a little. There's no heartless here...never mind" she said, as a shadow came up through the floor. "Great..."

Cloud huffed impatiently, and threw his sword over his shoulder again. "What now?" he growled at Silver as she stopped suddenly and folded her arms. "I don't know why I used any cure spells on there...maybe I should've left you there to die."

Never one for any hint of tact or emotion, Cloud left it at this, feeling thoroughly put out.

_I think the world is doomed..._

"... Fine. Then I'll go die." she muttered venomously, walking ahead with her chin tilted down sending him dirty glares as she walked past him.

Cloud heaved a great sigh. Now one of them was throwing a tantrum. He hoped he wouldn't have to try and apologize for something again. Now what had set her off? He'd just wanted them to hurry up...didn't she understand the urgency of the situation?

He heard Silver let out a little gasp as a Heartless rose suddenly up in front of her...Cloud spun around and jumped at it, killing it with his sword and slashing at another one as it rose up out of the ground, standing in front of the girl as he fended off the enemy.

Wolf watched Cloud, if he thought he could just boss him around then he was wrong. After all, for all he knew Cloud wanted him dead. Anyways...wait, Cloud, that name…

Cloud turned to look at the boy as Wolf stood defiantly where he was, frowning.

_Great. A rebellistic teenager._

Cloud sighed. As if he needed any more problems.

"What?" he grunted, looking at Wolf.

"Cloud, your name I've heard it before. Ah now I know." Wolf grinned slightly, "You were hired to fight and kill Sora by Hades...In the Phil Cup if I am correct. So I'm not the only one who has worked for the Darkness."

Cloud and Wolf locked eyes as he said this, and for a moment, everything was still. Slowly, the four girls turned to look at Cloud, their expressions alarmed and slightly disbelieving. Cloud stared into Wolf's eyes, but the teenager did not back down, and stared defiantly back. Out of the corner of his eye, Cloud saw Daisuk raise a hand to her mouth in horror. Silence fell about them, with nothing but the low whistling of the wind to break it, and all was still.

"I'm right aren't I? You did try to kill Sora, although you did fail. But what was in it for you." Wolf was grinning, finally, some weak point.

Cloud continued to lock the gaze with him, though at his side, his gloved hand balled slowly into a fist and began to shake.

"N-no!" Daisuk exclaimed, her voice high pitched. "C-Cloud would never do something like that...never..." she looked up at him. "W-would you, Cloud?"

Cloud ignored her, still staring into Wolf's face. The teenager grinned triumphantly.

Wolf looked at Cloud, he could every easily die right now. "Umm. Yeah, so what was in it?" Wolf was starting to become unsure of himself.

"Cloud? Cloud!" Daisuk continued to call to him, tugging on his arm before seeing the clenched, shaking fist at his side. She stepped back and put a hand over her mouth.

"No..." she whispered. She took another step back and raised her hand, pointing at Cloud. "Y-you did! Y-you...you tried to kill Sora!" She gasped. "That's why you're here! Why you want to get to Kingdom Hearts! You are looking for Sora, but...to kill him! You're going to try and kill him again!"

She ran to Wolf and grabbed the sleeve of his shirt. "How can this be!"

"Ummm...Well he was hired by Hades to kill Sora...But he failed, and umm...If I remember gave Sora something, although he never tried again."

Donovan awoke after a nap to find himself still in his alley, but in a different place. His alley was now connected to part of Hollow Bastion. Well, Donovan didn't know it was Hollow Bastion. But he could see a boat-load of Heartless running around. He wondered what in the worlds could have happened. Donovan got up from his napping place in the broken crate to walk around. He explored Hollow Bastion to find places with jungle trees and some other parts that looked like Traverse Town. After a while of walking around, Donovan came upon a group of strangers. One had a huge sword that slightly startled Donovan and he also had a long cape. Another was wearing a white dress. He snuck about slowly behind them, keeping his clawed hand on his dagger at all times. Donovan listened closely to their conversation. It seemed one of them named "Cloud" had tried to kill some boy.

Daisuk stared at him. "H-huh?"

She whipped around to look at Cloud again. "How could you!" she shouted. "All this time...you were pretending to help us, and..." her eyes widened, and she gripped her Keyblade. "You used us to get to the Keyblades! You're going to try and kill S-,"

"**_NO_**!" Cloud roared, throwing out his arm in utter fury, his eyes blazing as she spoke. He raised his hand and a fire spell hit the ground in front of them. Flames burst into the air, forming a fiery barrier between Cloud and the rest of them. For a moment, his wild blue eyes were visible through the hazy smoke and flame, but then, as they watched, he turned away from them and began to walk away, back into the darkness around them.

Donovan watched as the caped one created a wall of flame. This startled Donovan a bit, but he quickly recovered. He picked up his dagger from his pocket... but dropped it on the ground, creating a loud clang noise as the blade hit the ground.  
_"Damn. They probably heard that."_ Donovan thought to himself.

Daisuk spun around, her eyes still teary from her confrontation with Cloud.

"D-did you guys hear that?" she asked meekly as they backed away from the flames. She could've sworn she heard something being dropped.

Wolf looked around. "I didn't hear anything."

Daisuk twirled around, her hair flying out behind her, and squinted into the shadows. "N-no, really! I heard something! I promise..."

Wolf looked around. "If you think you did." He held up his Keyblade just in case of attack. He looked at his keyblade; there was a blue flame on the tip. "What the…?" He touched the keyblade to the ground and the Heart of Darkness flared up around them.

She sighs. "There is a heartless in the hallway there in a trench coat and floppy hat that dropped a dagger. He didn't want to try and hurt us, though. Now can someone PLEASE go and unlock the door? I wanna know what's behind it that's pulling me!" She says then thinks, _Stupid kids._

"A-a Heartless? In...in a..." Daisuk looked over at Wolf. "A...trench coat?"

She raised her Keyblade. "S-should we fight or run away? M-maybe we should open the door after we kill it..."

"If it comes for us." Wolf looked back at the far away door. "If we open it again the Heartless could get at them. If the Keyblade were to need a master it would find them."

Daisuk nodded uncertainly, and turned back to the girl. "U-um...miss? A-are you sure it was a Heartless? Only...usually Heartless don't wear clothes or carry daggers...u-um..."

She rolls her eyes. "Like I said, it is NOT hostile! The only other heartless besides it here right now are having a nice little waltz."

"I never heard of a non-hostile Heartless..." Daisuk murmured. She gazed uncertainly at the waltzing black beings nearby. "That's...weird. This power you have...can you control all darkness? I've never seen anyone be able to command the Heartless before..."

"Yes. It is a heartless."

"You sure? All Heartless are hostile."

"Correction. All heartless WERE hostile. That was, until Maleficent... Or whoever was controlling them died."

Daisuk stared at her. "Wow!" she said. "How do you know all this?"

"Don't kill me for this, but I am now able to control darkness, though I would rather not say why..." She looks away.

Daisuk looked at the newcomer curiously. Everyone was so full of secrets!

"Don't worry." She smiled encouragingly. "It's good to have you on our side!"

She nodded at Wolf, and the two of them raised their keyblades to the giant lock that stood in front of them, barring their access from the world beyond...

She looks back to watch them open the door. The pull felt stronger now, it wasn't light or dark, but somewhere in-between, like herself. _It seems there are keyblades in there, though I do not know why one would choose such as me..._

Wolf closed his eyes. He really didn't want to do this, but it seemed needed.

Donovan jumped out from behind his safety of the shadows and stared at the girl.

"You... How do you know so much about me? And for your information, I am not a Heartless!" Donovan yelled.

"You have no heart; therefore, you must be a heartless. Who are you to ask questions of me? I could destroy you with but a thought." She turns to face him.

Donovan looked down at the ground. "I... I have a heart...some of it..." he said.

"You seem to be different form the other heartless... As if you are of them, yet not. What are you, besides a product of the darkness?" She watches the heartless she began controlling earlier continue their dance and laughs.

"Yeah, you're not a mindless product of darkness," Daisuk said, peering into the man's face. "You're interacting with us...on a higher level...that's a human trait. What...no...Who are you?"

Wolf looked at the man. "You look like a Heartless."

"Come on!" said Daisuk. "We're not going to hurt you...tell us...who are you?"

Wolf watched, if that...thing so much as looked at them wrong he would kill it. No reason a Heartless should be alive.

"He seems to be, yet isn't a heartless..."

"If you must know, my name is Donovan. I was turned into a Heartless, but still have some Heart left in me. I am a Heartless with a heart. I suppose I am a fluke of nature. I was in an alley in Traverse Town a moment ago. I took a nap and when I awoke, I found the alley now connected to this strange place." Donovan told the group. "Now you give me some information. Why do some of you hold a large key in your hands like a weapon? Who was that caped fellow with the large sword who created a wall of flame?" Donovan took off his hat to reveal his plain Shadow face, nothing but glowing yellow eyes and two long antennae that twitched occasionally.

"That...that's terrible!" Daisuk exclaimed, putting a hand to her mouth. "How difficult it must be for you..." she shook her head. "Anyway...this here is a Keyblade." She waved the weapon in the air to show him. "It's a device used to seal worlds in order to keep them the way they are...as you can see, we have a lot of work to do." She gestured around at the mismatched place that once was Hollow Bastian. "Everyone's worlds are colliding, and we don't know why. We think it has something to do with this strange man we met...he threatened to take the Keyblades from us. We're not sure what he wants, but it can't be good."

XxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxX

Silver wandered off by herself, wondering what happened to Cloud. She blacked out a while back, and when she woke he was gone and no one told her where he went... all they said was they betrayed him... She sighed, staring at the night sky as she walked quietly through the shadows, her hair blowing softly in the wind and she started singing peacefully, the song "Eyes on Me" again.

Silver continued singing, but then stopped and looked around with a sweatdrop on her temple.

"...Lost... again... AGH!" she cried quietly, angry at herself. But that anger soon was brushed away with the soothing wind, staring at the sky as her blond silky locks blew gently along with her silky dress.

"...Oh well... a much butter view is right here..." she murmered gently.

Silver sat on a rock just in front of a lake, hearing crickets and such. The moon shined down, almost as if directly at her. She gazed into the water, watching her rippling reflection.

_..Cloud wouldn't betray us. Would he..? I mean yea he's a pain in the ass and a strong creampuff but...he cared for us all... I could tell..._

She started tearing up; looking at the starts now as a tear sparkled sliding down her cheek.

_Where did you go Cloud..? Why are you doing this...?_

XxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxX

Daisuk looked around, and started suddenly.

"Hey..." she said, bringing everyone's attention to her. "Where did Silver go?"

Daisuk looked around, her hair blowing gently in the breeze, yet she could not see Silver anywhere.

"Oh no...We should look for her! What if she was attacked by a Heart...um..."

She turned bashfully to Donovan, feeling her cheeks flush.

"Sorry," she said. "I...I didn't mean..." she shook her head. "Well, anyway...some of us had better search for her before something...bad...happens." She nodded at the remaining newcomer. "Wolf and I will stay here to guard the door to the Keyblades...she might come back. You two go look, but don't get lost, okay?"

Silver heard the cries for her name and stood sadly, keeping her head bowed. She walked out of the shadows of the tree she was sitting under and stood a few feet away from Daisuk, her bangs covering her tear-stained face.

"I'm here..." she murmured in a weak shaky voice, serious shaken up from being confused.

Silver walked past Daisuk, hurt in the glimpse she could have seen in the golden orbs. She walked aimlessly, desperate for answers as she sat down. She didn't even notice the new guy by Daisuk, caught in her own world at the moment.

"What's wrong, Silver?" Daisuk asked, squatting beside her. "We were just about to go look for you! Are you okay?"

"I'm fine..." she whispered sullenly, her gaze stuck on the ground in front of her. She then started trembling and cried, grasping her chest as she spoke again.

"Why did he do it? WHY WON'T ANYONE TELL ME? Why did Cloud betray us! Where did he go? All I heard from you guy after I woke from being unconscious was that he betrayed us and no one told me why or where he went! DO you know how much it hurts to know someone that cared for all of us, is uncared for?" she cried angrily, standing and glaring coldly at Daisuk as tears streamed fast down her face.

Daisuk's eyes widened, taken aback by the girl's anger, and had to stop for a moment to try and understand Silver's situation. Indeed, to her it would seem awful - after all, she was rescued and healed by Cloud just as she passed out, and he'd carried her all the way across the strange place they now stood in...Upon waking up, she'd found that he'd left, apparently having done something awful to which Silver could not place a memory to.

Daisuk sighed, and put her hands on Silver's shoulders. "Listen. He fooled all of us, Silver, and I'm a little sad to. But Cloud isn't really one of us. He..." she looked away. "...He tried to kill Sora. Long ago. He failed, but now..." she sighed again. "He was just using us, Silver. All he wanted out of Kingdom Hearts was Sora's life. He's a traitor."

She looked at the ground. "I don't know where he went. It was...hard to see him through the flames." Her expression hardened. "But, if he's out there alone in the world again, with nothing but his guilty conscious to contend with, then good riddance! He deserves to live without care from another human being!"

Silver stood petrified, staring wide eyed at Dai. She shook her head slowly stepping backwards, tears streaming faster now.

"N…no... HE WOULDN'T USE US! Daisuk, this is CLOUD we are talking about! He wouldn't do that! HE IS NOT A TRAITOR!" she cried, more to herself. She tried to stick up for Cloud, believing in him that he wouldn't use them.

She found herself wining slightly in her head, trembling with each tear that fell. She didn't know why she cared for the grump so much, but images of him filled her head from the first meeting, all of their little feuds, to his rescuing her two times, to him carrying her. She bowed her head so her bangs covered her eyes and ran past Daisuk, trying to get away.

"Silver, you weren't conscious, you didn't see it!" Daisuk exclaimed. "Wolf confronted him. Don't you understand? He was just pretending to help us...he probably would've killed us in the end anyway, once we reached Kingdom Hearts. Cloud is our enemy, Silver, and if we are to be on the lookout for him, it is as we would look out for the Heartless...he isn't our friend anymore."

She grabbed Silver's arm as the girl tried to run. "Come on. Stay here...it's not safe out there, we don't want to lose you again. Now we've just gotta open this door here so she can retrieve the Keyblade that rightfully belongs to her. Stay with us."

Silver growled and ripped her arm from the girl, then ran off.

"LEAVE ME ALONE! STAY AWAY! I WILL FIND CLOUD BY MYSELF!" she screamed, the argument in her head stopping. She convinced herself that Cloud didn't do this on purpose... she knew something had to me going on in his head and it was up to her to find him.

Before Daisuk could react, Silver was already gone.

Silver stumbled, now lost as she found herself entering... a forest? She tripped as it rained; landing right in a mud puddle but when she stood up the rain washed it off. She continued crying, lost-dazed-and confused. She sat under a tree and hugged her knees to her chest, her drenched hair falling over her shoulders and eyes filled with hurt. She buried her face in her knees/arms.

Daisuk sighed as Silver ran off into the night, and let her hands drop to her sides. She turned to Wolf. "What are we going to do? She can't go out there by herself, she'll get hurt. But...I guess...we can't make her stay." She looked at him. "Well?"

Wolf grinned and points at the shadows. "My best way to follow people, in the shadows."

Daisuk nodded. "Okay. You go on, Wolf, we'll wait here for you to get back."

Wolf nodded. He walked into the shadows and almost completely disappeared.

Silver felt an aura coming a long ways away, and she stood quietly. The rain drowned out any sound so as she was running deeper into the forest, she was unnoticed. She grunted as she slammed into something and fell onto her butt with a splash, and then looked up to see... a heartless. She stared and cried out quietly to herself, diving out of the way of an attack. She stood and glared at the thing, thoroughly annoyed. She pointed a finger at it and started yelling, then the ground glowed slightly in front of her and something started rising out. She noticed and blinked, watching.

"A staff..? Sweet... DIE YOU ANNOYING THING!" she screamed, taking the staff and slicing the heartless in half making it turn to sand. She stood there staring, her face in shock. Her dress slung tightly to her slim form, the rain having drenched her quite thoroughly.

Wolf heard a scream; he looked around then headed for the scream.

Silver sighed and dropped onto her butt in the middle of a clearing, staring at the place the heartless used to be. The staff was all silver with three blades, one out the top, one sticking out of the left side at the top and one sticking out of the right side at the top. It had two black spirals flowing up the whole staff and the whole staff sparkled. She sighed and bowed her head down with closed eyes, her hair falling over her shoulders.

"Come on, Wolf," Daisuk whispered into the darkness. "You can find her..."

She turned to those that remained. "I don't want to open the door until he gets back. I just...I want him to be here."

Wolf moved around, it was near hopeless nothing he did would find here. He saw something, but it could be anything.

"If there is one thing I've learned, it's that you can't trust anybody. Frankly, I don't quite trust any of you." Donovan said. "However, I will stay with you at this "door" because I have no idea where I am and no clue where to go or what to do." he said.

Donovan put his hat back on and leaned back against a wall, ready to wait for the rest of this little group to come back.

Daisuk looked at the newcomer nervously. Having already been taken as a fool by Cloud, she was uncertain to what this shadow man's intentions were. He seemed harmless enough, but then again, so had Cloud after they'd gotten to know him.

"Um...w-where is your world, usually?" she asked him timidly. "I-I mean...where did you come from?"

Wolf sighed, this was useless. He started to move back to Daisuk slowly.

"I hail from Traverse Town. I had lived there all my life. Now tell me... where do you hail from?" Donovan asked, crossing his arms.

Daisuk stared at him. "I, uh, hail from...I mean, I come from Destiny Islands," she said. "The same place Sora, the Keyblade master, hailed...er...came from."

She smiled at him uncertainly, but spotted something and turned to find Wolf reappearing out of the shadows, looking disgruntled.

"Any luck?" she asked.

Wolf looked at her. "No." He came completely into view and looked around.

"Oh no..." Daisuk sighed. "Well...I guess it really is her choice. She doesn't have to stick with us. I'm just so worried about her..."

She shook her head. "Oh well. Come on, let's open this door."

Wolf looked at Daisuk. He slowly raised his sword also. He looked at the door, everything about it.

Silver stood and stared at the staff, smiling faintly as she made a silent vow in her head.

_I will find Cloud... I will find out what he is doing and I will correct this fight... And hopefully live!_

She thought, and then smiled a bit more at thinking of her life. She stared at the sky; the only sound heard was the soothing rain. She started walking through the forest, not caring if her clothing became drenched in one second flat.

Silver sighed, wandering out of the forest. She had killed a total of 10 heartless and she saw Daisuk and the gang and glared coldly just standing there as it rained. Lightning flashed, Silver clutching the staff tighter in hopes of controlling her anger.

_I still don't see how they didn't try to talk to him...he's our friend._

Silver walked up to them, pain in her eyes again as she stood in front of Dai.

"...Why didn't you ask him... why didn't you talk to Cloud..." she questioned in a dangerously calm voice. She didn't know why she was so angry, but she needed to know. She clutched the staff tighter, waiting for an answer.

Daisuk lowered her eyes as the girl strode up to her, anger blazing within her eyes.

_You really do care for him..._

She sighed. "We...well...I tried," she said. "I was like you, Silver, I didn't think he could do such a thing...I...I asked him...he didn't say anything. He just stood there, and then he cast a barrier of flames between us, and left." She lowered her eyes. "I'm sorry, Silver. He didn't deny it. Cloud...he's our enemy now."

Her eyes softened dramatically, tears starting to fill her eyes.

"...He...he can't be our enemy... Dai, please... think... That's just not Cloud. There HAS to be a reason why..." she murmured, staring at the ground.

Daisuk shook her head. "Silver...you don't know that. You've barely known him a day. I know he SEEMED to be a good guy, but...well, it was self admittance that let us to believe he's our enemy, Silver," she said. "He's not who we thought he was."

She turned. "Now...let's open this door."

Silver kept her head bowed down, keeping her thoughts of him being good. She knew it was a mistake... she just knew it... Her grip loosened on the staff slightly, waiting for the doors to open.

Daisuk and Wolf raised their Keyblades to the door once again, the Keyblades glowed, the door glowed, and everyone rejoiced as it slowly opened to reveal the pretty little room with all the Keyblades.

Daisuk watched as the girl wandered, as if in a trance, toward one of the two remaining Keyblades that lingered upon the pedestals. Daisuk could remember feeling much the same - as though she wasn't quite there - as if the Keyblade itself had been calling out to her heart.

"Aah, children. I thank you. I need not plan a more complicated approach to my quest, but instead I may leisure in the favor you have so...blindly granted me."

Daisuk gasped in horror and whirled around.

Though she could not tell whether or not his feet were actually touching the ground, Keter Zephyr certainly gave the impression of being even taller, even more domineering than he had before.

"Y-you!" Daisuk cried, taking a step backwards.

_Oh no...Why did we unlock the door again! Why, why, why! _

"Thank you, children," Keter laughed. "I will so enjoy taking from this tomb what truly should be mine...you could not have made my attempt easier, I must say!"

Daisuk glared at him bravely. "Y-you're not getting anyone's Keyblade!" she shouted.

"Oh?" he chuckled darkly. "Well then...I'll just have to STEAL THEM!" As his voice filled the empty, broken streets, reverberating off the very walls and seeming to make the ground tremble just slightly as he spoke the last of his words, Keter rose higher into the air and his eyes flashed a brilliant shade of red.

Wolf looked at him, "You." Wolf's keyblade appeared in his hand, he pulled out his crossbow. "Bring it." He fired an arrow at him.

Silver stared, her eyes wide. She held up her staff but a heartless appeared and knocked it from her hands. She took a step back, and then cried out getting struck in the chest unable to help or keep her gaze on Dai. She fell on her back, her left shoulder gushing crimson.

Silver dove at the Staff and picked it up, then spun around just in time to see the heartless diving at her. She cut it in half and turned towards Dai, but more appeared. She cursed and went into battle frenzy with at least 4 heartless, blood staining the ground from her shoulder.

Keter laughed, his voice again echoing oddly, and he thrust out his arm, his eyes flashing again as he deflected the arrow with no more than a brush of his hand. The air around him seemed to ripple oddly, and the arrow fell to the ground at his feet.

"Curious," he said softly. "The children wish to play."

Again, he thrust his arm out, and a line of fire burst from the ground and rushed toward Wolf like a stream train...

Wolf looked at the fire. He dodged it and fired another arrow. _How does this guy get hurt?_

Silver was knocked back, loosing grip of her staff as she flew backwards slamming into something. She fell onto the ground; many bruises on her body and a long cut on her cheek, a few tears in her dress and blood staining her body. She wasn't a good fighter yet, and it showed drastically.

"It seems you don't understand," said Keter, deflecting the second arrow and catching it lightly in his hand. "I'm not in the mood to play games with children...I've never been much of a father figure, myself..."

With this, he waved his other hand over the form of the arrow and set it ablaze with a green fire. He spun around in the air in a flash and launched it in Wolf's direction at twice the speed of which it had originally taken off.

"HA!"

Wolf was hit and flew backward. _Ow, that hurt. Is there anyway to hurt this guy?_ Wolf held up his keyblade, he ran forward and jumped at him, ready to bring down his keyblade.

Silver grunted, sitting up weakly and noticing the heartless were all dead except for one.

"That one hit me..." she grumbled, standing slowly and stumbling a bit as she grasped the staff picking it up. She growled and spiked it at the heartless and it went right through, killing it. She let out a sigh of relief, falling to her knees. She cringed and clutched her stomach, blood pouring from her arms, legs, and cheek. A bit of blood slid down her lip, making her flinch tasting the disgusting liquid.

"Oh!" Daisuk cried. "Silver!"

She ran to the girl, "Heal her, ummm…"

"Akane…"

"Akane! Quick, heal her!"

Keter looked down as Wolf ran at him with the Keyblade, and chuckled. "What's this? Back for more?"

Wolf jumped at him, bringing the Keyblade down across Keter's left shoulder. He faltered slightly, feeling the power of the weapon pierce him, and a growl lingered in his throat.

"I have no patience for this!" he spat. "Out of my way!"

He waved his arm, and a great, unseen force rolled across the grounds, knocking all of them from the doorway and driving them into the ground. "I came here for the Keyblades. I will leave as I so desire...with the Keyblades. Hehe."

The Keyblade that remained, floating gently above the pedestal on which it was displayed, was blood red, with apparent burns marking it to give it the exact color of a burnt rose. Thorns entangled its blade, black ones, and a deep, red liquid was held at its base in a small orb...blood.

"Ah, yes," Keter whispered. "Yes..."

He closed his eyes for a moment, and the ground trembled slightly. Then, quite suddenly, the unseen shield cast to protect the Keyblades from wrongful wielders shattered suddenly, and the Keyblade itself clattered to the floor. Keter beckoned with his finger, and it rose up and settled into his hand. At once, he felt its power course through him, felt it mold itself to his hand, his being...it now belonged to him.

Wolf watched, stunned almost. He tried to jump over Daisuk and get at Keter so he could cut off his head.

"DAISUK!" cried Silver, attempting to stand but fell back down crying out in pain.

"Dammit... DAIISUUUK! WOLF HELP HER!" she cried, unable to stand as pain flowed through her body.

"Foolish child! Why so relentless!"

Keter backhanded Wolf roughly across the head as the boy jumped toward him, the force knocking Wolf clear across the room and crushing him against the wall.

"I bid you farewell," he snarled. "Bear in mind I am not finished here. Should that boy live, I will be back for the Keyblade that wields to his heart."

And with that, he was gone, Daisuk's limp body still clutched within his pale hand, vanished into thin air.

"NO! Wolf we have to go find them!" she cried, pulling herself up using a tree as support. She cringed and fell to her knees, one hand clutching her stomach as the other held onto the tree.

_I'm useless...DAMMIT!_ She thought, slamming the fist she was using as support on the ground.

"I couldn't help her... im as useless as a flea..." she murmered, crying lightly.

Wolf slowly tried to stand up, "Ow...Ow...Ow." He finally got up and looked around, ruins everywhere.

She pulled herself up again weakly; much more beat up then Wolf but still trying her best to be strong.

"Wolf, you alright..?" she called out to him, her voice weak but soft.

"Yeah...I'll be fine." He slowly moved over to her, "You?"

"...I'll be ok..." she mumbled quietly, looking at the ground. She was hurt, both physically and emotionally...

"We have to go find her... It was my fault we couldn't rescue her, and I will make sure we get her back. I won't leave a friend behind." she muttered, a little colder then she meant.

"We need to find someone." Wolf looked around, "And this door needs to be closed."

"Closed? How? And who do we need to find?" she asked, removing her gaze from the ground to Wolf. She picked up her staff and held it to her chest, wondering where the guy could have taken Daisuk.

"Someone who can fight." Wolf moved away from the door. "Come on."

Silver sighed and nodded, walking after him. As soon as she took a step she cried out and fell onto her knees, clutching her stomach with her eyes tightly shut. Pain overflowed her emotions, knocking away any thoughts or options.

Wolf turned to Silver, "You're not okay, are you?"

She opened her eyes, trembling slightly as she pouted childishly at Wolf.

"I'm fine." she mumbled, standing while using her staff as support. She caught up with him and leaned on her staff for support, flinching in pain.

"Tell me if we need to stop." Wolf moved slower so she could keep up.

"I'm fine, honestly." she resented, lying though she hoped he didn't notice. She started walking, keeping her head bowed.

Wolf looked around. This place had been messed up; he had no idea where he was. And where was anyone in this place.

Silver raised her head, confused as well. Her eyes flickered object to object, trying to sort out her surroundings.

"Uhm... where are we anyways?" she asked, hopeing Wolf knew.

"No idea." He looked around again. Was anyone else even here, or were they the only ones. He started walking again.

Silver got a sweatdrop on her right temple, staring at the back of Wolf's head.

"So you mean while I was unconscious, you guys didn't notice where we went to? Didn't Cloud tell you guys anything?" she asked skeptically, inwardly rolling her eyes. Her eyes then softened, staring at the ground as she walked.

_...Cloud. I almost forgot about him...-sigh-..I wonder where you are right now._

"No." It was kind of weird, he thought he knew bits of this place, but, it was all changed.

Silver never replied, a sad look filling her golden orbs as she stared at the drenched ground. She didn't notice it stopped raining, not even processing her surroundings as she felt like she was just sucked into a world of darkness. A soft splash was heard, some blood dripping from her fingertips into a puddle.

There must be people around here, there had to be. Wolf looked around, nothing but stuff around here.

Silver sighed, watching Wolf sit down against a tree and fall asleep. She sat down against a different tree, hugging her knees to her chest as she stared at the ground. She enjoyed the rest, the wind soothing her body. She felt massive pain, but right now she felt numb.

XxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxX

_"Cloud?"  
"What is it, Cloud? What is this...?" _

"I've been hiding it for some time, afraid that if I told you...  
something terrible might happen."  
"But, I'm not going to hide anything anymore."

"...a sealed up secret... wish..."  
"Tender memories... no one can ever know..."

"Cloud! Why'd you bring Tifa to a place like this!"

"How does it feel?"  
"It's your first time back to your hometown in a long time,  
right?"

"Cloud... Kill Seph..."

"GET OUT OF MY HEAD! Stop... stop taunting me! I don't remember! LEAVE ME ALONE!"

XxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxX

Silver's eyes turned sad again, sighing for the 5th time as all the memories of Cloud drifted through her head again. She smiled weakly, remembering when Dai threatened to call him Mr. Creampuff... she knew she only knew him for a day, but she grew attached to him in just that small amount of time...

Wolf slowly woke up. He shook his head.

Silver raised her head, looking at Wolf as she heard him moving. She saw him awake and smiled weakly.

"Hey... sleep well..?" she asked, not having slept. She then realized she hadn't slept for 2 days and hadn't eaten for 3.

"Yeah." He stood up. "You hungry?"

"Not really..." she mumbled, standing as well.

"Okay. Come on." he started to walk again. How much longer would it be till they found someone?

Sighing, Silver deciding to be stupid and get to the bottom of this.

"Wolf, you say we need someone strong...right..? Well, Cloud is strong and also we need to question him. Please... let's look for him..." she asked a silent plea in her voice.

"Hold it"

Donovan stepped in front of Wolf and Silver, his arms outstretched.

"What? Are you trying to block our path? We could squish you, shorty. And why didn't you help with that fight?" Wolf said.

"It's because... I was scared... There was something about that man... pure evil... it sent chills up my spine..." Donovan said.

"Do Shadows have spines?" Wolf asked.

"That's not the point. Something tells me this man will do great harm to all the worlds. If you're going to stop him... count me in... But I still don't trust any of you!" Donovan told them.

Silver glared at the shadow, angry by his actions.

"And who said you could come?" she hissed venomously.

XxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxX

If he could, in fact, feel the chilly wetness of the puddles beneath him as he strode briskly through the blackened town, or hear the whistling of cold air as it whipped past his face, Cloud gave little indication of it. He walked almost as if in a trance, his eyes blank and unblinking, and his stony exterior aptly covering the turmoil bubbling within his soul.

He could not remember the last time someone had confronted him about his past, though he was certain it was well over five years since anyone had tried. He'd found that the best way to deal with it, day by day, was to simply will it away, and having Wolf so suddenly bring up what he'd spent so many years trying to drown inside himself was more than he could stand. Now, everything he'd worked so hard to ignore had come rushing to the surface, replaying endlessly in his mind as he walked - his pact with Hades, his attempt to kill Sora, the realization that neither would bring his memories back, the lingering voices of those he ceased to remember, his unknown past - and no matter how he tried, he couldn't quell the noise.

_Damn kids..._

He sighed, making his way through what remained of Traverse Town with his fists clenched. He'd spend the night in the abandoned tavern Leon had once spoken of, and tomorrow, perhaps, would start anew on his quest to find Kingdom Hearts...with every passing day he knew he was losing precious time. He wasn't sure what he'd do once he got there - only one possessing the power of the Keyblade could open the doors to the kingdom - but he did not want to think of this. He'd find his own way in.

He turned a corner, and came to a slow stop as he looked up at what had once been a small, simple tavern.

The Great Hall loomed before him, massive and somehow darker, emptier than he remembered. His eyebrows creased as he looked up at it, and then, as his eyes fixed upon the open seal upon the door's front and a cold sense of dread enveloped his heart, he realized, even before seeing the 7 empty pedestals, that his fears had come to be realized at last.

XxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxX

"Well, if you don't want my skills, then FINE! I'll show you what I can do!"

Donovan's coat and hat fell to the ground as he crawled along as a shadow on the ground. He jumped up from the ground right behind Wolf and Silver and jumped onto Wolf's head, which he began clawing at.

Wolf picked him up off his head. He grinned, the Heart of Darkness flared up around him.

Silver growled, the suddenly she collapsed unconscious. Her battered body was heavily wounded from the heartless she fought before, and crimson dripped from her fingertips into the puddles.

XxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxX

_Damn kids..._

"Damn kids!"

Cloud kicked the door open just long enough to see the remaining Keyblades had vanished from their places before he turned and began running, his cape billowing out behind him in the wind, with his mind set on one, desperate, urgent thought.

He had to find Keter.

XxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxX

"Hey, Wolf, is it? I noticed the girl there is dripping blood. Reach into the lower-left pocket of my coat. There should be some gauze and a bottle of anti-infection liquid in there." Donovan told Wolf, not at all trying to get out of Wolf's grasp.

Wolf looked down at Silver. "What happened?" He knew she won't answer. He then looked at Donovan and did as he said.

XxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxX

Cloud skidded to a halt. Again, the door in front of him had appeared, this time under the Gizmo shop.

"What the..."

He spun around, and leapt up onto the roof of the store.

_"Hehehe..."_

Cloud froze. He clenched his teeth and wrapped his fingers around the hilt of the sword.

"Where are you, scumbag?" he growled.

BANG!

The enormous doors of the Great Hall burst open as Cloud was hurled into them, and then slammed shut again as he skidded across the cold stone floor and crashed into the wall behind the pedestals, disorientated and unsure of what possibly could have hit him. He'd barely seen a flash of green before the impact had knocked the breath out of him and struck him down from the rooftop.

_"Hehehe..."_

Cloud groaned and got to his feet, shaking his head. "Where are you!"

_"Hehehe...how fun, to play tricks with one's mind. Create halls that don't exist. Create rooms that no one can see. Ah, the power of illusion...an underrated value, I'm afraid. Now...welcome to the true Hall of Heart."_

Cloud let a low growl linger in his throat, and looked around once more.

_Why did those stupid kids unlock the door!_

BAM!

"Nyaarrgh!"

Bits of debris crumbled gently from the wall as Cloud was knocked into it, and, at last, Keter materialized before him, grinning slightly in vague amusement.

"Welcome," he said.


End file.
